Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

Montana · Weekly summary · Mon, Feb 26
● As filed87 lines reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1778

The state in one line

Counts as USDA filed them
Montana reported 87 priced lines covering 1,705 head across feeder cattle, slaughter cattle, replacement cattle. USDA puts feeder cattle receipts at 653 head. slaughter cattle receipts at 871 head. replacement cattle receipts at 436 head.

Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

Mon Feb 26, 2024
USDA Livestock, Poultry & Grain Market News · Federal-State Market News Service, Billings, MT (LS-BL)
Feeder CattleReceipts 653Last week 7,125Year ago 4,489
Slaughter CattleReceipts 871Last week 1,005Year ago 1,215
Replacement CattleReceipts 436Last week 1,026Year ago 1,247

Compared to last week: Too few feeder cattle sold this past week to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed on both steers and heifers. Demand this week was mostly moderate to good for very light offerings. Quality was mostly plain and significantly lower than last weeks very heavy, high quality offering. All cattle were offered in small groups or as singles no load lot or partial load lots were seen. Weather caused some cancellations as poor road conditions were seen early in the week. CME positions softened early week as traders reacted to the release of the on feed report, however some late week strength was seen. The March closed at 252.975 on Friday, 1.60 lower for the week. The April contract closed at 258.00, 1.975 lower for the week. Market activity was mostly moderate this week with a smaller buyer pool noted. Weigh up cows sold on very good demand for light to moderate offerings. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive and similar to last week. Packers showed very good demand for all cows this week as they balanced buying both feeding cows and slaughter cows. Early week all cows were purchased to slaughter as quality was mostly average. Late week sales saw very attractive offerings and most of these offerings were purchased to feed. Slaughter cows sold 2.00-4.00 higher on breaking cows, boning cows and lean cows sold unevenly steady, with lower prices seen on lower yielding cows and higher prices seen on high yielding cows. Feeding cows suitable to feed to premium white sold mostly 3.00-7.00 higher, many high yielding heavy muscled offerings were seen this week. Slaughter and feeding bulls sold 2.00-6.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold steady to 5.00 lower on a mixed quality offering. Demand remains good for high quality offerings. Feeding buyers purchased young cows to feed on lighter demand this week. Demand for bred cows remains very good, even on small lots.

Feeder Cattle

As reported
HeadWt rangeAvg wtPrice rangeAvg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
9400–450410352.00–372.50358.38
14450–500495348.00348.00
58500–550507316.00–347.00334.98
4600–650608294.00294.00
5700–750704267.00–269.00268.20
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
3300–350325387.50387.50
4400–450405330.00–341.00332.85
18450–500464317.50–340.00324.23
9500–550543305.00–315.00311.72
15550–600590291.00291.00
6600–650631283.00–288.00284.65
2650–700670262.00262.00
1700–750735254.00254.00
3750–800763235.00–245.00238.28
Steers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
3500–550510310.00310.00
7650–700688231.00231.00
Steers — Medium 2$ per cwt · actual wt
2400–450448265.00265.00
4600–650630230.00230.00
Steers — Medium 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
4350–400398280.00280.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
1500–550545315.00315.00
1600–650600252.50252.50
1650–700650232.50232.50
10700–750735240.00240.00
1750–800750245.00245.00
2850–900895210.00210.00
1950–1000965218.00218.00
51000–10501,029187.50–211.00196.38
11150–12001,160182.00182.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
6400–450431318.00318.00
18450–500460312.00–315.00313.33
44500–550528285.00–288.50286.84
78550–600564280.00–288.00281.97
52600–650606268.00–268.50268.45
8650–700656249.50–254.00252.88
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
4300–350346310.00310.00
2350–400398317.00317.00
6400–450429311.00–313.00312.00
12450–500483291.00–303.00298.14
2550–600565242.50242.50
Heifers — Medium 2-3$ per cwt · actual wt
4450–500465195.00195.00
Heifers — Medium 2$ per cwt · actual wt
6450–500454252.50252.50
3500–550517200.00200.00
19550–600580195.00–222.50204.83
Heifers — Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
4400–450406272.50272.50
Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
3600–650607201.00201.00
Heifers — Medium 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
2450–500455282.50282.50

Replacement Cattle

As reported
AgeStageHeadWt rangeAvg wtPrice rangeAvg price
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open41,194100.00100.00
(<2 yrs)Open62968160.00–191.00175.71
Young (2-4 yrs)Open2491,015109.50–172.50143.46
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)Open31,170159.50159.50
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)Open13964131.00–177.50156.45
Young (2-4 yrs)Open5865112.50–177.50125.79
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1-2 · Thin Fleshed$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)Open2810112.50112.50
Stock Cows — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)Open6726170.00–204.00185.62
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Broken Mouth$ per head · actual wt
Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo)221,3441,860.00–1,975.001,866.91
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per head · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo)81,2852,550.002,550.00
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo)91,4231,750.00–2,000.001,886.64
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)21,4282,250.002,250.00
Young (2-4 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)11,0902,400.002,400.00
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1-2 · Broken Mouth$ per head · actual wt
Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo)191,2251,400.00–1,450.001,407.98

Slaughter Cattle

As reported
HeadWt rangeAvg wtPrice rangeAvg price
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
131,13896.00–102.00101.65
931,202105.00–113.50108.14
191,191113.00–118.00115.51
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
221,440113.00–122.00118.85
81,449101.00–104.50103.17
401,370105.00–112.00109.41
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
11,560117.00117.00
91,579102.00–112.00108.25
531,567110.00–115.00114.21
Cows — Breaker 75-80% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
91,476110.50110.50
121,498112.75–116.00113.85
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
1094886.00–97.0091.86
296578.0078.00
Cows — Boner 80-85% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
461,334106.00–114.50111.48
21,37598.0098.00
2561,367113.00–121.75117.45
Cows — Premium White 65-75%$ per cwt · actual wt
31,562119.00119.00
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
401,214101.00–111.00105.28
971,13189.00–102.0093.84
21,00872.50–79.0076.03
121,139112.00–117.00113.69
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
152,094137.00–144.00139.86
191,550106.00–118.00112.96
411,799118.00–136.00124.76
Bulls — Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
11,255131.00131.00
31,372109.00–117.00113.27
Bulls — Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
51,26898.00–114.00103.39
Head, weight ranges, average weights and price ranges are exactly as USDA AMS filed them — nothing recomputed, nothing rounded — in USDA's own reporting structure. This is RaisedBeef's rendering of that data, not a copy of USDA's document.
Source: USDA AMS, as filed — nothing recomputed and nothing rounded. This summary aggregates the same sales the Montana barn reports cover, so it must never be added to a state total built from those barns.